Compaq Presario AMD Athlon 64 2.2GHz Laptop (R4225CA) ... Good?

Hi, I live in Canada and I need a new laptop.
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10067701&catid=#
Is this a good deal? I can get 200$ off again if I sign to sympatico for 1 year so 1099$.

Anyone have this laptop and can tell me if it's good or not?

I need this laptop mainly for school for college, will this laptop be good enough for me?

Thanks



The Compaq Presario R4225 features a powerful AMD A64 processor that handles demanding applications along with 1GB RAM and a 100GB hard drive. It also features a 15.4" wide high definition screen and an 8 cell Lithium-Ion battery allows you for plenty of time when you are on the road. More Info
WebID: 10067701
Mfr. Part Number: EC383UA#ABL
Processor Type AMD Athlon 64 Processor
Screen Size 15.4"
RAM (Preloaded / Maximum) 1024MB (1GB) DDR/ 2048MB (2GB)
Hard Drive 100GB 4200RPM
Optical Drives See The Features Section
Graphics ATI Radeon Xpress 200M IGP, 128MB DDR
Average Battery Life Info Not Available
Product Weight 3.56 kg
Audio Type Altec Lansing
Battery Type 8-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery
Cache Info Not Available
Fax/Modem 56K V.90
I/O Ports See The Features Section
Included In Box Instructions, AC Adapter
Network Card Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN
Other Software See The Features Section
PC Card Slots 1 x Expresscard/54, 1 x Type II Card Bus
Pointing Device Touchpad
Preloaded Operating System Windows XP Home Edition + Service Pack 2
Processor Speed 2.2GHz
Product Dimensions 36.20(W) x 4.57(H) x 28.40(D) cm
Removable Storage 6-In-1 Memory Card Reader, USB
Screen Type See The Features Section
Speakers Altec Lansing
System Bus Up To 2000MHz
Warranty 1 Year Parts & Labour

More Information


FEATURES:

* I/O Ports: 4 x USB, 1 x VGA,1 x RJ-11 Modem, 1 x TV-Out, 1 x Expansion Port 2 Connector, 1 x IEEE 194 FireWire
* Optical Drives: DVD+/- R/RW and CD-RW Combo Drive With Double Layer Support
* Screen Type: 15.4" WXGA High-definition Brightview Widescreen
* Included Software: Symantec Norton Internet Security (60 days), Adobe Acrobat Reader, Multimedia Software, MS Works, MS Money, MSN Encarta Plus

 

The only thing I would point out is if you are planning on carrying this around it is heavy. You should consider the FAQ in the hardware forum.

 

Mine is perfect for my needs. Also use it at college.

Now, if you are planning on gaming on it, it will do decently at low game settings, but if you are a heavy gamer, you should go for something with a stronger video card. As mentioned, it is a little on the heavy side, and I use a targus bookback to carry mine around.

 

I've read a lot of great reviews about it. I just ordered the same computer with a lot of the same specs.The only thing I'm worried about is buy more RAM. Does PC4200 work with it?

 

No, PC4200 is only for Intel-based notebooks. The R4000 series takes DDR333 (PC2700) DDR memory.

 

Anyone have found a review about this computer ?? I can't seem to find one. Thanks

 

There are lots of reviews here at NBR itself. Ofcourse you wont find it for your particular model number but you"ll find many for the R4000 series.

http://www.notebookreview.com/reviews/

 

How does this laptop compare to my desktop?

MS XP Pro SP2
MSI Neo2 Platinum
AMD64 3000+ winchester - (Artic Silver + oem HSF)
1GB OCZ Premier Dual Channel DDR - (OCZ4001024PDC-K 2x512M PC3200 DC Kit 2.5-3-3-10)
Geforce2 GTS AGP (I do not play much games)
Mitsumi 1.44 MB floppy and card reader via USB 2.0
Seagate 7200.7 200 GB SATA HD
LG 4163B DVD burner - EIDE
Onboard sound - nForce 3
Onboard LAN
logitech PS2 wheelmouse
microsoft PS2 internet keyboard

Will this Compaq be comparable in speed? Would I need to upgrade the HD to 5400 or 7200 rpm?
Also, does the DVD drive in the Compaq do DVD RAM?

 

Lots of good reviews on this website. Be sure to check out the reviews of the HP zv6000 as well as it is the R4000's twin. Also, be sure to check out www.notebookanalysis.com for further information. This website is solely devoted to the HP zv6000 and the Compaq R4000. I have an HP zv6000 and I love it though of course it is a desktop replacement model at this weight.

 

It should be in the same range in most areas other than the fact that the R4000 does not support dual channel memory and it is equipped with a slower stock HDD which can be easily upgraded to a 7200rpm HDD.

The spec sheet just mentions support for DVD±R/RW and CD-RW Combo Drive with Double Layer. So, I dont think it does.